Turning puzzle ball

ABSTRACT

A turning puzzle ball includes a plurality of slidable members, and a plurality of rails. The slidable members form a hollow sphere. Each of sides of each of the rails is slidably mounted between corresponding sides of two adjacent slidable members.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to magic tubes, and particularly to aturning puzzle ball.

2. Background of the Invention

A puzzle device which is highly popular is that sold under the trademarkRUBIK'S CUBE in which a main cube is divided into groups of minor cubesof nine cubes disposed three by three along each face of the main cube.Each of the groups of cubes is independently rotated about an axisperpendicular to the plane of the group. The axes of the groups areorthogonally related. The faces of the minor cubes are variously coloredand it is the general object of the puzzle to successively rotate thegroups about their respective axes from a random arrangement of theminor cubes to a condition wherein the minor cubes achieve apredetermined arrangement, for example with the faces of the minor cubesin a group being of the same color.

Currently, there're two types of Rubik's cubes. One is cubic, and theother is spheric. Groups of the cubic type of Rubik's cubes can rotateonly in two directions. Groups of the spheric type of Rubik's cubes canrotate in three directions, such as Hungarian-Globes, Magic Balls,K-Ball, and so on. However, parts of each group of the Rubik's cubescould not disassembled. Thus, it is inconvenient in using the Rubik'scube.

What is needed is to provide a turning puzzle ball which is convenientto be used.

SUMMARY

A exemplary turning puzzle ball includes a plurality of slidablemembers, and a plurality of rails. The slidable members form a hollowsphere. Each of sides of each of the rails is slidably mounted betweencorresponding sides of two adjacent slidable members.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a group of a turning puzzleball in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,the turning puzzle ball includes a plurality of groups of slidablemembers, rails, shafts, and decorating slices;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the slidable members of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the rails and the shafts of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a turning puzzle ball in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention includes eight triangularand cambered slidable members, twelve long and cambered rails 2, sixshafts 3, and a plurality of decorating slices 4. The slidable membersenclose a hollow sphere. The rails 2 are located between every twoadjacent slidable members. The shafts 3 are located between corners ofthe slidable members. Three decorating slices 4 are mounted to eachslidable member. The decorating slides 4 are colored.

Each slidable member includes an inner slidable member 12, an outerslidable member 14, and a bracket 16. The inner slidable member 12 andthe outer slidable member 14 are mounted together via the bracket 6. Theinner slidable member 12, the outer slidable member 14, and themountable bracket 16 can be mounted together by screws or rivets. Eachside of the inner slidable members 12 defines a slot 122 therein.

Each rail 2 has a T shape. The rail 2 includes a body 22, connectingportion 24 extending inwardly from a lengthwise center of the body 22,and a pair of hooks 222 extending downwardly from opposite lengthwisesides of the body 22. Each of the brackets 16 has three arms (notlabeled) perpendicular to one another.

Each shaft 3 includes a pair of tabs 32 and 34 extending from acircumference of the shaft 3. A receiving slot 36 is defined between thetabs 32 and 34. Each decorating slice 4 includes a plurality ofprotrusions 42 extending inwardly therefrom for engaging with acorresponding outer slidable member 14.

In assembly, hooks 222 of the rails 2 are placed between inner slidablemembers 12 and the corresponding outer slidable members 14. The bracket16 is placed to an inner surface of the inner slidable member 12. Eachbracket 16, a corresponding inner slidable member 12, and acorresponding outer slidable member 14 are mounted together by screws orrivets (not shown). Edges of the rails 2 are slidably located betweenthe inner slidable member 12 and the corresponding outer slidablemembers 14. The hooks 22 of the rails 22 are slidably engaged in theslots 122 of the inner slidable members 12. Ends of each of the bracket16 are mounted to three rails 2 that are perpendicularly to one another.Each shaft 3 is located among ends of the corresponding rails 22. Thus,a hollow sphere is shaped. The decorating slices 4 can be mounted to anouter surface of the outer slidable members 14 to decorating the sphere.The turning puzzle ball can slide along three rails. The rails areperpendicular to one another. In work, edges of the inner slidablemembers 12 can slide through the receiving slots 36 of the shafts 3.

Furthermore, the slidable members can be connected by ribs and dentsbetween two adjacent slidable members. Numbers of the decorating slicescan be 1, 2, or 4, and so on. And different colors of decorating slicescan be replaced.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the invention.

1. A turning puzzle ball comprising: a plurality of slidable membersforming a hollow sphere; and a plurality of rails, each of sides of eachof the rails slidably mounted between sides of two adjacent slidablemembers.
 2. The turning puzzle ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein eachof the slidable members comprises an inner slidable member, and an innerslidable member mounted to the inner slidable member, sides of the railsare slidably located between edges of the inner slidable members and thecorresponding outer slidable members.
 3. The turning puzzle ball asclaimed in claim 2, wherein sides of each of the inner slidable membersdefine a slot therein, respectively, each of the rails having a T shapecomprises a body, a pair of hooks extends from opposite sides of thebody of each of the rails for being slidably engaged in thecorresponding slots of the slidable members.
 4. The turning puzzle ballas claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the slidable members furthercomprises a bracket, the inner slidable member and the outer slidablemember are mounted together via the bracket.
 5. The turning puzzle ballas claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the rails further comprises aconnecting portion extending from the body, each of the bracketscomprises three arms perpendicular to one another, ends of the arms aremounted to three corresponding rails perpendicular to one another. 6.The turning puzzle ball as claimed in claim 2, further comprising aplurality of shafts located between ends of the corresponding rails. 7.The turning puzzle ball as claimed in claim 6, wherein a pair of tabsextends from a circumference of each of the rails to form a receivingslot, edges of the inner slidable members slide through the receivingslots.
 8. The turning puzzle ball as claimed in claim 2, furthercomprising a plurality of decorating slices, the decorating slices aremounted to the outer slidable member.